This Simple Method Will Revolutionize the Way You Read the Gospels

Matt invites his men’s Bible study group to dive into Scripture in a colorful way. Armed with a pack of colored markers, he prints out the day’s Bible reading and invites participants to circle verbs, underline names, draw arrows between repeating phrases, highlight details, and make notes in the margins before discussing the passage.

“Here I am with a group of guys who have nicknamed themselves ‘Manbeverages & Bibles’ and now rainbow markers are strewn all over the table where we’re meeting. It’s starting to feel like a Pinterest party.

But 15 minutes into the study, the Bible started coming alive in a whole new way,” Christian says. “Each of us started noticing details, phrases, patterns—God began speaking through the Scripture to each of us in a personal way.”

Christian’s story stuck in my mind. What had Matt discovered? Would a pack of colored markers really make that big of a difference in studying the Scripture?

The #LentChallenge is the perfect opportunity to find out. This year Lent begins on Wednesday, February 18.

Doodles appear in a variety of colors. Doodling allows the soul to reflect.

Now, marking this much in my bible would create a color fiasco, so I followed Matt’s lead and went to www.biblegateway.com. I searched for the day’s readings, selected a translation, removed verse references, and printed.

This allowed me to have the Scripture printed, without numbers, and begin to mark up with lots of margins and rooms for notes.

I’ve been discovering that Matt’s color method is genius. Phrases are coming alive. Imagery is popping off the page. Details are catching my eye (and heart).

Along the way, I’m allowing my inner doodler out. I draw like a 4-year-old. But as I draw, it provides time for the words, the phrases to sink deeper into my soul than just skimming would.

Doodling slows my pacing.

Doodling helps me recognize repeat words, phrases, and emphasis.

Doodling allows me to see patterns in the way God words, the way Jesus teaches.

Let me warn you! The Color Method slows reading considerably.

The daily reading for the #LentChallenge normally takes only 15 minutes. Adding the Color Method can turn it into more than an hour—you’ll end up reading through the passage several times over.

But maybe one day, or one day a week, it’s worth trying. Let your inner doodler shine.

If you do, here are a few tips:

1. I always begin with circling the verbs in red, because you’ll find more verbs than another colorful word.

2. Within a given story, I’ll add an extra underline each time a person’s name is mentioned. For example, each time Joseph’s name is mentioned in Matthew 1, it receives an additional underline. This allows the prominence of someone to emerge within a story. This becomes particularly interesting when you start to see how often the Heavenly Father is mentioned throughout certain portions of the Gospels.

3. Often on top of a number in Scripture, I write the actual numeral. Interesting to see which numbers keep popping up—when and where.

4. I scribble lots of notes as I’m reading on the side.

5. I place question marks around confusing passages. During Lent, we’re joyful and grateful to have New Testament professor Craig Blomberg answering questions—yours and mine. So I’m collecting questions as I read. You’ll want to collect them to and send them to: jessica@margaretfeinberg.com or leave them a comment on our weekly blog posts. We’ll be doing a Q&A post once a week with Dr. Blomberg.

6. At the end of my doodle marking time, I reread the entire day’s text and then ask the question:

What do I most need to read but least want to hear?

Then I consider how I can respond in an active way that day. Sometimes it’s through prayer or repentance, giving or reaching out to someone. But I always ask God how I can be both a hearer and doer of the day’s reading.

This is just the method I’ve been using. Feel free to riff on this or develop your own. Try it one day a week or every day. This is just one more tool to help the Scripture come alive and trick men’s groups into having Pinterest parties. Thanks Matt!

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23 Comments

Hey Margaret! I know I’ve been MIA on the comment forms but that doesn’t mean I’ve been completely MIA from your blog and events entirely. I love, love, LOVE that you shared a doodle-type Bible study technique. I was recently introduced to Bible Journaling and it has transformed the way I look and read at Scripture. Being knee-deep in God’s Word with a year-long reading plan and participating in “The Story” study at church is helping a lot too. But I’ve got my markers, colored pencils, highlighters, and stickers beside me at all times. As a writer and former language arts teacher, I love Matt’s approach in circling verbs, underlining, and marking Scripture accordingly. GREAT IDEAS! Thanks for sharing. Big hugs to you and Leif.

I love the simplicity of this. I use a similar method in my personal study that I adapted from a number of places, including the Bible Quiz my girls participated in some years ago. The biggest difference is that I write out the scriptures in my own handwriting, then mark up the text / make comments / condense the information in the sidelines – in whatever way I believe the Lord is speaking to me. This way, I can create an ongoing record of what I am learning and look back to see overall themes in the text, and patterns in God’s dealings with me. I love the question: “What do I most need to read, but least want to hear?” It really pinpoints where God is working to change me!

Looking forward to starting tomorrow. I think this method will bring out things we have never seen before. Can’t wait to get started! Thanks Margaret for your challenges. You get us purposefully into the Scriptures.

Thanks for your post, I just started doing this a couple of weeks ago, you help fine tune it.

How did you create your copy of the bible chapters, when I try to make my own it comes out looking like a normal typed paper. Yours has wide margins on both sides, and less words on each line, and like an hour glass shape on the paragraphs.

I have been using a color method for years. I learned the Kay Arthur method of Inductive Study. It was pretty intense, so I did a lighter version for myself. I don’t mark as much as I used too. However, it is an awesome study tool and once mastered you can never simply see scripture without going a wee bit deeper even in regular reading time. Your mind automatically drifts to seeing those things you needed to color to see before The color method here is slightly different… but way cool I am sure. I’ve not written or responded much this past year as I have been on my own “little” journey. I read your blogs regularly and enjoy praying for you along the way. I will most likely not meet you this side of heaven but look forward to an eternity getting to be your friend.